Musical Culture
by AppleL0V3R
Summary: Songfic collection. Inspired the meme music challenge, except none of the rules have been followed. My pairing of choice is ItaSaku. 14. She didn't care what path she took so long as she was never forced to change; he cherished that about her. Song: Anything but Ordinary by Avril Lavigne
1. I'm Only Me When I'm With You: Flight

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** One – Flight

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Inspired the meme music challenge, except none of the rules have been followed, well except the shuffle part. I did follow that. My pairing of choice is ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** I'm Only Me When I'm With You by Taylor Swift

**Word Count:** 440

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I take requests for songs to use in these drabbles. So feel free to ask for any song at all.

Here are the actual rules, just in case you wish to do this as well. (My apologies for not following them)

_Music Meme_

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.  
>2. Turn on your music player and put it on randomshuffle.  
>3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!<br>4. Do ten of these, then post them.

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><p>Sakura watched the sky, comfortable in her position in the wet grass looking up. Most people would be itching like crazy, she could think of five people who wouldn't even lay down in the first place.<p>

But this had become a hobby, watching the sky just after the rain. It started when she was a middle schooler, hurt by her crush once again and wanting to be by herself. She'd come to this open field after having run at least a few miles through the rain. She'd settled into the ground not caring, she was already soaked anyway. She hadn't even begun to wallow for more than five minutes when she heard it: the roar of the engine and rush of the wind. Surprised, she'd double blinked, twisting this way and that to find the source of the noise; after all it had set her heart to work double time. Flying above her in a more outdated version was a plane. One of those ones that can seat two people and needs only one person to fly it.

Miffed and curious she simply watched, catching glimpses of the flier. After a few hours the plane landed in the large field.

That was how she met her school's heartthrob's elder brother. Uchiha, Itachi.

That was also how she learned of the heir to the Uchiha Corps.' biggest secret.

He loved to fly.

And she loved to watch him.

In a way they found sanctuary in each other, become normal people around each other. Become each other's stranger.


	2. Had Enough: Greed

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Two – Greed

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Inspired the meme music challenge, except none of the rules have been followed, well except the shuffle part. I did follow that. My pairing of choice is ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** Had Enough by Breaking Benjamin

**Word Count:** 205

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I will accept song requests, so long as you realize that they will be drabbles.

This is for the music meme challenge. The rules for it are on chapter 1.

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><p>Itachi was, in a word, greedy. Everything he'd ever wanted always became his and his alone.<p>

Including Haruno Sakura.

The first impression she'd gotten of him was that he was a gentleman. The second that he was sophisticated. The third was that he was pain in her ass. Because it'd only taken one look to decide she was different, one conversation to decide she was unique, and two meetings to decide she would be his. The third meeting had been to tell her that.

She hadn't reacted well.

But now he woke up to her face each and every morning. Because he always got what he wanted.


	3. The Way I Loved You: Opposition

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Three – Opposition

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Inspired by the meme music challenge, except none of the rules have been followed, well except the shuffle part. I did follow that. My pairing of choice is ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** The Way I Loved You by Taylor Swift

**Word Count:** 385

**Disclaimer:** I will take requests for any song, but please be specific.

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><p>They were so different that clashing opinions were to be expected.<p>

He was a gentleman in every way possible. Holding doors, pulling out chairs, kissing the back of her hand – though he'd omitted the bowing part – every time they met on their own time. He seemed flawless. Sensible, always knew what to say, always knew how to trigger each of her emotions. A dime a dozen in modern times.

She was the girl with absurd hair and was impulse driven. She could be highly volatile, impatient and obtuse. Never had she held any reserves about blackmailing or screaming when the situation called for it. She was smart, but preferred to wing things. Impossible not to get along with. Easy to catch and hard to keep.

The first time they'd kissed was at two a.m. during a storm in the middle of the street. Her idea. Neither party's families had been happy, especially not his but she didn't care. Still, it had ended in an argument with Sakura stalking away.

She'd been sitting in his window ledge not two hours later, red-nosed and nervous. He propped himself up on one elbow, raised his eyebrow and motioned her over.

By seven the whole house was in chaos, but they'd both seen that coming since before they started dating.


	4. All About Us: You, Me, We, Us

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Four – You, Me, We, Us

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 4. Forbidden was the one word they wouldn't accept. ItaSaku.

**Song Four:** All About Us – t.A.T.u

**Word Count:** 410

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I am open to requests, so long as I get the song and artist if possible.

**Edited on:** November 28, 2011

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><p>Sakura padded to his side with the ease of familiarity. She didn't belong there and they both knew it, but she'd always been a strong believer in 'home is where the heart is' and he'd always have her heart. He knew he should push her away, break her heart if necessary, but he liked the way 'we' and 'us' flitted through his mind or off her lips.<p>

She wasn't supposed to trust him, but even at their first meeting she had. Destined to be enemies and she was willing to put her whole being in his hands without even knowing his name.

There was a connection that neither could change: not his logic, not her loyalty. So eventually she gave in and promised to do whatever he wanted her to do. She didn't want to give up her world and knew he could – with time and papers and so _so_ much more – fit in with her, but she knew he liked control and let him call the shots. It didn't make a difference to her by that point anyway.

He slipped an arm around her waist, leaning on her for support. A silent request for help that he'd never ask aloud without turning it into a demand. She conceded with a smile and an arm curving around until her hand settled on his narrow hip. For as long as she could help it, it would be like this always. Side-by-side, despite the world.


	5. Vanilla Twilight: Grave

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Five – Grave

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 5. Nothing was forever, not really, but Sakura could try. ItaSaku.

**Song Five:** Vanilla Twilight by Owl City

**Word Count:** 535

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I am open to requests, so long as I am given the song and artist if possible.

**Edited on:** November 28, 2011

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><p>Small, long fingers connected to dainty hands rolled the stem of a flower between them. The young woman, not even twenty-one allowed the gray stone to hold her up because she no longer had the strength to now. She wouldn't for a while. Dead eyes – windows to her broken soul and shattered heart – stared off into the sunrise.<p>

It used to be so beautiful.

Not anymore.

It would be again, perhaps. But not in the way she now only got to see in heart wrenching memories. The ones that had kept her awake for two days straight now, each and every one forcing its way through her. When she closed her eyes the pictures and scenarios got clearer. Made the pain worse, but she kept them closed just to see his face.

They'd met when she found him asleep at the base of a tree trunk, the sun just beginning its tread in the sky. She'd been on her way back from a mission and he'd obviously been training outside the gates. Unable to help herself she'd giggled softly and smiled at the sight. He'd twitched ever so slightly and she knew then he'd woken up but wasn't ready to move until he absolutely had too. His face had been so serene compared to the tense and expressionless one she saw every time inside the village. She walked forward telling him who she was and assuring him she was no theat. He'd hummed in reply and told her his name as well shifting only when she seated herself beside him with only centimeters between them.

The space between them had never widened since. Now he was gone, though. Gone until she caught up to him again.

Until then she'd stay close to his grave, a white daffodil – for strength, her favorite – in between her fingers. The pain would never lessen, the heartache would never ease, the memories would never fade, but slowly she'd move forward. The weight would lessen with time, the tears would too and she'd grow to accept the absence. But still she knew no matter how far she traveled or where she ended up, she'd still be no more than centimeters apart from him.


	6. Let Me Go: Stuck With You

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

**Chapter:** Six – Stuck With You

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 6. One more kiss, it was always the best thing for her. ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** Let Me Go by 3 Doors Down

**Word Count:** 330

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I am open to requests, but please tell me the song and artist if you can.

**Edited on:** December 1, 2011

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><p>For so long Sakura had lived by the same rules. Not all of them had always been followed, but they were what made her who she was.<p>

He changed all that. He changed everything.

His kisses were poison. Yet here she stood, pressed against him, unable to get enough. It was a nightmare that she didn't want to end. A happy ever after that would never exist. It was unreal, but it would be reality. It would affect everything. Just like him. So infectious, so wrong.

So why did it feel so right?

She loved him. She didn't know if he loved her. This wasn't the life she was supposed to live. She had to leave, had to. He'd told her to as well, warned her repeatedly. She hadn't listened and now she was stuck.

Stuck beside him. Stuck between two choices always knowing the one she should make was the one that she hadn't the will to enact.


	7. Monster: To The South

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Seven – To The South

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 7. Sakura needed a light, and she wasn't so sure the dark was the way to go. ItaSaku.

**Song Seven:** Monster by Meg and Dia

**Word Count:** 325

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** For those of you who don't know, this song is absolutely based off a book. The lyrics are very telling that way. I myself have never read the book, but I do know of its existence and i's overall story line. I don't intend to replicate in anyway. If you are interested, the book is called _East of Eden _by John Steinbeck

Also, this is from Sakura's perspective, however I'm pretty sure she had a normal childhood (but since Kishimoto did not go in to it at all…)

I am open to any and all requests, with the song provided and artist if possible.

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><p>Tears hit the hardwood, not a sound, not even a 'plink'. One after the other they fell, cascading down her face and making a mess of her makeup.<p>

She didn't care.

It didn't matter.

How could it matter?

Was it so much to ask? For a hug, a kiss on the cheek? How about a compliment, acknowledgement?

Did it make her desperate to want such things? After all, it was normal to receive them, from young to old, the youthful and the dying. Even the emotionally distant.

And yet she was depraved of them.

She didn't care.

It didn't matter.

How could it matter?

And then there was him. Dark, twisted, psychotic. Him. She liked him, even if he did end up hurting her, even if he did soil her hands. She liked him because in a way he was like her.

In a way, he was a monster too.

But -

She didn't care.

It didn't matter.

How could it…?

Because she finally had a reason to put her heart into something. She finally had a reason to want to keep going.

Yes she liked him, liked him a lot.

But Itachi…

Did he like her?

She didn't know.


	8. The City is at War: Tattoo

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Eight – Tattoo

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 8. Going to a club turned out to be one of the best and worst things she could have done. ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** The City is at War by Cobra Starship

**Word Count:** 780

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I am open to any and all requests, just tell me which song (and possibly the artist as well).

**Edited on:** December 3, 2011

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><p>Sakura huffed and rolled her eyes at the latest absurdity that was her friends. Why the hell did they want to do this, and why the hell did they think she wanted to? Pains in her ass, the whole lot of them.<p>

She didn't like the taste of alcohol, she'd never touched drugs even once, and she wasn't about to start now.

And when one of her friends tried to shove something white and rock-like in her face, the rosette finally decided that staying even in the vicinity of them was getting her nowhere but irritated.

So she pushed her agitation back just enough to swat her friend's hand away, and then she turned and headed for the bar of the club. Clubbing was another thing that just wasn't one of her favorite past times despite the fact that she was at a college so far from her parents. She liked being the minority of college students who didn't party all the time or get drunk or high just because they had the freedom to.

The friend that had been bugging her didn't even ask where she was going. And she was okay with that because she didn't feel like answering.

Once she found a stool to sit on, she propped her elbows on the counter and glanced around at the patrons. Nothing seemed particularly special about them; there were two guys talking and laughing as they left the bar area, a group of girls drinking and laughing at the bar, and a few loners who were simply drinking.

"Aren't you a bit young to be in here?"

She jerked backwards, falling right off her stool. Her back hit the ground almost painfully and she winced before rolling over and attempting to get her limbs under her. After doing so, she was quickly standing up straight and trying to make it look like her back didn't now hurt with waves of pain vibrating from it.

In front of her was a tall man with inky-black hair and piercing, dark eyes. His voice had been low, smooth and silky. He was exactly what her friends would call jumpable; they would be all over him in a heartbeat. And considering the setting, she was pretty sure they expected she would do the same. They also wanted her drunk and high.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm just not allowed to drink. The bouncer let me in the door knowing my real age."

He raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, stopping only when he was seated next to her. "And why are you here?"

"Friends." Otherwise she'd be home, occupying herself in productive ways.

He nodded in turn, and she couldn't help but notice the black markings peaking out of the collar of his shirt just slightly and she had to fight the urge to attempt to see the rest of it. Instead, she returned green eyes to his own black ones and resolved to keep them there rather than ogle this guy. But returning her gaze to his face allowed her to see the smirk on it, the one that told her she'd been caught ogling him anyway.

Deciding _what the hell,_ she tipped her head toward the ink on his skin. "What is it?"

He didn't even so much as bat an eyelash, let alone move to either cover it or reveal it. "A dragon."

She couldn't help but quirk the corner of her lips. "Just on your shoulder?"

He shook his head. "No, my back as well."

The college student gave a low whistle. "I've never gotten a tattoo. I think it would hurt, especially over that much skin." Halfway through, the bartender served him a drink and handed her a glass of honeyed tea.

"You come here often."

She shrugged. "I know the people who work here."

It was his turn to curl his lips slightly. "Despite the fact that they are part of a yakuza and you aren't?"

She felt her jaw drop, but couldn't seem to get her brain to formulate the command of shutting it. Who the hell was this guy?

"My name is Itachi." And he kept smirking.


	9. Superman: Head in the Clouds

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Nine – Head in the Clouds

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 9. Sakura wants a hero; Itachi will never be more than the villain he made himself. ItaSaku.

**Song Nine:** Superman (It's Not Easy) by Five for Fighting

**Word Count:** 400

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I am completely open to requests, but please give me the song and artist if you can.

**Edited on:** December 3, 2011

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><p>Itachi was no fool; he had known since a young age that being a prodigy would do him more harm than good. That being an important Clan Head's first-born held more disadvantages than gateways. But the rest of the world would never see that. He would be expected to be everything his father was and more, he would be expected to always be the best no matter what.<p>

And he would always be scorned for it.

Itachi knew from childhood that his life was going to be riddled with problems because he'd been born with a silver spoon.

Be it the overt expectations, the fact that he was advanced, or his favorite, the fact that he wasn't be allowed to be human. Not for even a split second or a minor lapse.

He was supposed to be superhuman, the kind that didn't have kryptonite.

It was just that simple.

At least it was supposed to be.

Then there was Haruno Sakura. Born of a civilian family and clearly not cut out to be in their line of work. But that hadn't held her back; it hadn't stopped her from befriending powerful people. It hadn't stopped her from becoming a medical ninja, training under the esteemed Sannin-turned-Fifth-Hokage Senju Tsunade.

It hadn't stopped her from turning up before him, demanding he find a different path other than the one he was on.

He'd been given every break, and suffered for it. She'd started with less than nothing, and made herself renowned as one of the best. And she clearly hadn't been afraid to meet him eye to eye, knowing that he was human too.

He wasn't superhuman.

She knew that, and he would treasure that fact even if he couldn't give in to her demands. So he would settle for calling her his kryptonite.


	10. Hear Me Now: I'm Calling, I'm Calling

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Ten – I'm Calling, I'm Calling

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge, (rules not followed). 10. They were the kind of people that no one realized needed help until it was too late. ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** Hear Me Now by Framing Hanley

**Word Count:** 1,110

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I will take requests for any song, so long as it's clear that they will be drabbles.

And I am well aware that this isn't quite a drabble anymore considering it exceeded 1000 words, but I couldn't seem to find a stopping place that I was happy with. And I still don't feel like I captured the song just right. So I will leave it at this.

**Edited on:** December 8, 2011

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><p>The sound of her feet against the forest floor made a rhythmic sort of beat. Her breathing came fast and harsh. Her legs ached almost past the point of bearable.<p>

But she didn't stop.

She couldn't stop.

She refused to risk a glance backwards; it wouldn't do her any good anyway. She wouldn't see anything behind her, she wouldn't see the reason she was running. And if she did, it was indeed visible now, she just knew she would see _it_s eyes. Those sharp, dark eyes that always glowed eerily in the dark; they were a memorable kind that never left a person's thoughts for long.

She'd seen them enough times that she knew she would see them every time she shut her eyes. So she had long since learned to stop blinking, even when it meant a harsh stinging sensation for too long. She had also learned to operate on no sleep at all; the dreams were too horrid and unbearable.

She had run at the first chance that presented itself, determined to get the hell out once and for all. Determined to have some semblance of a life back after days and weeks and months of endless torture at _it_s hand. Just the thought of going through it again, especially for paying for escaping _it_, made her move her legs just that much faster.

Keeping her green eyes ahead of her, almost in tunnel vision, she spotted a break in the woods. Her heart slammed almost painfully into her chest, but she told herself not to get her hopes up. Because for the woods to end, that meant she was heading for open land. She would be completely exposed with nowhere to hide. Granted being in the forest wasn't much better; _it_ could find her just as easily as if the trees weren't there. But they gave a false feel of security, and she knew being without them would make her feel trapped.

But she didn't stop running, didn't slow even slightly, and she didn't change direction.

_It_ wasn't too far, only a few hundred meters give or take. She had gotten this far. She could make it out of the forest. She could keep going. She had to.

Pushing to go faster, she hurried, hearing only the thoughts of her own prayer echoing too loudly in her ears. Her breath seemed even louder too, along with the pounding of her feet.

She blocked them out, refusing to pay those noises any heed. _It_ had been in her head for so long, she didn't doubt that it could still psyche her out now. Or she could trick herself into thinking that _it_ was and trip herself up by mistake.

Quickly, those thoughts were discarded too; contemplation was the first step to giving possibility a fighting chance. And she couldn't let that happen. Not now.

After what seemed an eternity she finally passed that last patch of trees.

And she ran straight into a black-haired man.

The momentum was too large and she couldn't right herself before she fell flat on her ass. Fear squeezed at her chance as she scrambled to her feet, intent on skirting him. On getting away as fast as she could because she wasn't foolish enough to think one man could help her.

But before she could dash off once more, despite the protests of her muscles and lungs and the soreness that had set in the moment she started pushing past her limits, she was caught once more. And the completely heart wrenching fear took hold fast and tight; for a moment she thought _it_ had caught her up again. But reality told her that it was the man. He had caught her arm.

His black eyes were piercing and his hair inky like the midnight sky above. He wore darker colors, blending easily with the world around them.

In the back of her mind, she wondered absently why she noticed all of those things then. Why she chose then of all times to be observant.

And before she could catch herself, before self-preservation could make her feet move and make her rip her arm away, she was parting her lips. "Help. Please help me."

Dimly she wondered if it was too late, but she couldn't be sure because she was already falling into oblivion.

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><p>Sakura woke with a start, turning this way and that, and she checked her vital signs. Her heart was racing, as if she'd just woken from a horrible nightmare that seemed too real for comfort.<p>

But she was on a warm bed, between wooden walls. She was far from the clearing and the forest; far from whatever she'd run from.

"You are awake."

Pink hair flew as she jerked her head to find where the voice had come from. And found herself looking into dark eyes like that of the man in her nightmare.

"Itachi." It was all she could utter before she felt tears well in her eyes and race down her face.

His dark, familiar eyes were unblinking, and before she knew it there was no more space separating them. He was simply right there, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hold. It was so real, something she could feel.

"Itachi."

His arms squeezed and she felt him press a kiss on the crown of her head.

Right then, she didn't care if that dream was real or if this was the dream that whatever she had been running from would twist into a nightmare. Right then, all she cared about was that she knew this man, and that when she'd called, he'd come to her within an instant.

He had heard her, just like he promised.


	11. Save Me from Myself: By the Shore

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Eleven – By the Shore

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge, (rules not followed). 11. If they were the only ones who knew just how wrong everything went, then that was okay. They'd keep their secret. ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** Save Me from Myself by Vertical Horizon

**Word Count:** 640

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I will take requests for any song, so long as it's clear that they will be drabbles.

**Edited on:** February 5, 2012

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><p>This was all that mattered; it was all that could matter. Because if it didn't matter, then everything wasn't okay. And if everything wasn't okay, then what was he left with?<p>

Nothing.

He was left with the remains of what could have been and what was. But he would never have what existed right then. He wouldn't have what he wanted, even needed.

And what he needed was to be whole. To be human. Was it so much to ask? Was it so much to simply want the basics of life that he saw everyone else with? He wanted a family and a home; he wanted someone he could speak to no matter the circumstances.

Closing his crimson eyes, he pushed those feeble thoughts away. He'd thrown those things away, put them forever out of his reach.

He'd let himself suffer isolation and loneliness for what he deemed the greater good, and as far as he was concerned, it still was. All he was doing now was wasting time, waiting for his precious little brother to finish what Itachi had started.

He paused but for a moment, before he turned on his heel and began the trek back to Akatsuki Headquarters. Even without being in his original home, he still had duties and missions to attend to, reports to turn in and assignments to overview. Despite everything, his daily routines, the way he lived his life, hadn't changed all that much.

Other than being a wanted criminal, nothing had changed as far as the rest of the world was concerned.

He was tempted to smile bitterly, but instead he tipped his head back to look up at the sky. A storm was on the horizon, and he still had quite a while to go before he was at his destination. A number of forests and valleys stood between Ame and the Kiri's ocean front. The faintest noise of rustling leaves caught his attention. However, he didn't fall into any form of defense.

It wasn't his partner that approached; it was a pink-haired kunoichi. Itachi had been crossing paths with her more frequently than any other of Konoha's best shinobi, but each time she made no move to apprehend him. For one reason or another, she knew; she knew about his past and why he was on the road he was. But most of all she understood.

It was rare to run into someone such as her. The young woman's sense of loyalty and honor rivaled his own, and she was fiercely protective of those she deemed precious. Yet even when they stood face to face, or happened to be side by side, she was not anymore defensive than she was around her comrades.

The way she approached him, the way she held herself, it was all telling. And that had certain implications: the kind that made looking at himself in a mirror that much easier; the kind that made it even marginally bearable to deal with his sins.

Sometimes he wanted to believe that everything was okay because of what it meant if it weren't okay. And other times, when she wandered into his vicinity, he was able to accept how wrong his whole life had gone.


	12. Harder to Breathe: You, Just You

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Twelve – You, Just You

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge, (rules not followed).12. Now she remembered why she didn't like spending time with people who could get inside her head. ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5

**Word Count:** 560

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I will take requests for any song, so long as it's clear that they will be drabbles.

**Edited on:** March 10, 2012

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><p>Her breath came fast as she forced her legs to keep going despite the aching in all of her muscles crying for her to stop. She risked a glance over her shoulder, hoping she had lost the man. But she could still feel him; like a seventh sense, she always knew when he was around even if she couldn't locate him with chakra.<p>

And she could definitely feel him.

Sakura forced back any and all thoughts related to how she was never saving the life of a dangerous criminal ever again. It seemed that every time she decided to show mercy or be helpful, she ended up running for her life or cornered by the very person she'd extended her hand to. The prime example of that was Uchiha Itachi.

He had been at Death's door, and for one reason or another, she'd expended nearly all of her chakra reserves just to stabilize him. In return, he had continually sought her out when he was in need of medical attention, as if she had become his personal nurse. When she'd tried to get it through his head that she wasn't, mere hours earlier as she took the time to heal him, she found herself running through the forestry that surrounded her home.

Realizing too late that she'd let herself get side tracked, she found herself suddenly yanked mid-step, and her back slammed into a nearby tree.

The very man whom she had been trying to escape loomed over her, red eyes frightening in their intensity.

Before she could even try to fight, she found herself being kissed mercilessly, and her arms pinned above her head. Freezing, her mind raced for a path of action. Struggling, was the obvious one, but the way he stubbornly coaxed her into responding to his kiss was a sensation unlike anything she'd ever felt.

She should fight. But his touch, though firm, was almost gentle, and the one hand that held her wrists wasn't painful, just unmoving. His free hand had settled at the base of her throat, a light but clear weight as his fingers rested between her collarbones.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to find strength she didn't have. Unwilling to be disloyal to her home was a very different manner than resisting the man who had unwittingly stolen her heart. And in the end, she gave way, letting herself respond to his soft touches, pressing her body against his.

The moment she did, he pulled back. His dark eyes appraised her for a moment before allowing a smug look to overtake his aristocratic features. "I believe you just proved my point, _Medic_. You belong to me." He paused, dipping his head down until their lips barely brushed. "In every respect."


	13. Kings and Queens: Story of My Life

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader: **SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Chapter:** Thirteen – Story of My Life

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 13. In all reality, there was no such thing as kings or queens for them because they themselves could never become such a thing. ItaSaku.

**Song Used:** Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars

**Word Count:** 915

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** I will take requests for any song, so long as it's clear that they will be drabbles.

Umm…Somewhere along the way this one stopped making sense to me. So I'm just going to put what my originals intentions were for this here and let you decide if I came anywhere near portraying them. So the idea that I started with is that canon-verse Itachi and Sakura have no place in each other's worlds. However, due to a fateful meeting, they choose to keep meeting. In this particular one, they're sparring; in other meetings, they might not be. And all the babble is basically saying how they recognize that being a shinobi is detrimental to one's physical and mental health, and they use each other to forget the harsher aspects of their lifestyle.

On a side note, I don't think I've managed to capture the whole message of the song. I mainly stuck to the chorus, so maybe that'll help make it more understandable.

**Edited on:** July 7, 2012

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><p>Crimson eyes watched her body slam into the ground. But despite the fact that he knew it had been painful, she still got her arms under her to push her body back up into the air. Less than a moment after she'd landed deftly on her feet once more, she was sprinting right back at him, clearly intent on going through another round of hand-to-hand combat. Itachi didn't bother to dodge away; he simply waited for her to invade his personal space once more to begin their mockingly, deadly dance all over again. Neither struck with the intention to kill or even cripple.<p>

That's not what this game was about.

This was about release.

This was about companionship

This was about fun.

This was about fulfillment.

It was so rare when the two found the time to get together like this. Away from civilization, away from all the prying eyes and ears. The world wouldn't understand, so they didn't bother to make it. They were content with this arrangement they'd held for so long. Long enough that Itachi had lost track of how many times they'd done this. So long that Sakura almost didn't remember how this started.

It was almost poetic in a way. But in all reality, it was something far less admirable.

Sakura grinned when she finally managed to connect her fist with his gut, forcing him to skid backwards and even take an additional step so as not to lose his balance. He smirked faintly in response, but before she could follow up or draw back, he was pushing forward again with an outstretched arm aiming for her abdomen. She managed to avoid at the last second, pulling back and shifting to the side. Her foot slid to the right, giving away her intentions for the next round and subsequently allowing him the upper hand.

Within moments she rolling across the ground a couple meters away from him, and in the blink of an eye she was on her feet, charging at him.

There was no part of Sakura that he hadn't found his way into through these short, violent interludes. And there was no crack she hadn't filled inside him in the same way.

Society wouldn't understand; their superiors, their comrades, their friends, their family, none of them would understand.

The two of them probably weren't made for each other. They were the kings or queens of their own worlds.

But neither one cared about the reality of their situations or their relationship. It didn't matter that they were monsters to the rest of the world, equal parts respected and feared among their own. It didn't matter for the same simple reasons they continued these forbidden rendezvous.

Because they could.

These meetings made them feel alive in a way their lives couldn't.

These meetings allowed them to fall together and fall apart.

But most of all, these meetings, these stolen moments and hours and days, allowed for the false ideals of normalcy and completion of lives they'd never have.

After colliding with the ground for the nth time in that short sparring session, Sakura chose not to get back up. She knew if she stayed where she was, breathing harshly, exhausted and aching, he would join her without hesitance. And he did. Itachi collapsed on the ground, spreading out his limbs. After stretching, loosening his muscles, he reached out and effortlessly gathered her to him with one arm. She didn't bother to resist; instead she made herself comfortable and proceeded to close her eyes. If he wanted her attention, he knew how to get it.

Black eyes appraised her for a long, silent moment, feeling every shift she made, noting every aspect of the petite woman curled around him. His long fingers drew lazy designs on her body, putting her to sleep that much faster. They had all the time in the world right then, so he simply closed his eyes and tightened his hold.


	14. Anything But Ordinary: More Than You

**Title:** Musical Culture

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** SymphoniaFreak

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Other Characters: **N/A

**Chapter:** Fourteen – More than You

**Song Used:** Anything but Ordinary by Avril Lavigne

**Summary:** Twisted meme music challenge (rules not followed). 14. She didn't care what path she took so long as she was never forced to change; he cherished that about her.

**Word Count:** 675

**Rating:** T

**Type:** Drabble Collection – Incomplete

**Genre: **Romance, philosophical

**Warnings: **N/A

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Started:** November 23, 2012

**Completed:** November 23, 2012

**Last Edited:** January 7, 2013

**Note:** I will take requests for any song, so long as it's clear that they will be drabbles.

**Requested by:** Nijakitty

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><p>Sakura would say her reckless and headstrong behavior was Naruto's fault, if anyone ever got close enough and stayed long enough thereafter to ask. Itachi knew there was truth to that, but it did not explain all of it. He knew part of it was her upbringing, part of it was her chosen lifestyle as a shinobi, but most of it was her unique perspective.<p>

At first, he had found it foolhardy, like she was just asking to get herself killed. And back then, she arguably had been- going toe-to-toe with him, knowing full well he was out of her league but still unwilling to back down. In her mind, her team and her village were more important than her life. The team that had betrayed her, left her die. The corrupt village that was more than willing to label her collateral damage. When he pointed out to those details her, she did not dispute his accusations, did not bother to defend either of the two. Because to her, the fact that they were worth dying for was all she needed to pull careless, gutsy moves like she had.

Later he would learn that, while his first impression was true, it was only one part of her precious philosophy. Sakura was a powerful, obedient, supportive shinobi. But she would bend over backwards for her team, even at the cost of loyalty to her village. The fact of the matter was, no matter how important her career as a ninja was to her, the human connections that push to her forwards and made her weak were higher up in her priorities.

She could justify it in three simple words: I am human. And because of it, she refused to let others tell her what to believe or think or do. She wanted to know for herself what her life was worth, and how far she could go. She was curious and dogged, and she hated to forcibly repress that aspect of her personality.

And for that, Itachi would always be silently thankful. If she had not been curious enough to stand down and hear what he had to say the first time they'd met, then one or both of them would be dead now. If she had not been so full of compassion and sympathy, then she would not have been willing to do what it took to fulfill her end of their deal, or even to make one at all.

Their twined story had started with a chance encounter, an almost battle, and deal to save Sasuke and keep Konoha safe. Because she was willing to take a chance, because she was willing to prioritize her loved ones over her loyalty to her home, he had gotten a second chance at life. He had gotten a second chance at living that life.

So when he felt her chakra signature unexpectedly, he wasted no time in seeking her out.

Sakura was reckless and headstrong, but she was curious and compassionate. And her unorthodox nature had been exactly what he had needed, although he'd not known it. So he could not find it within himself to be angry for long when she did something foolish or when she was more human than she should be.

Because those traits are why he is not just breathing, but genuinely happy.


End file.
